My brain works better when starting a new task if the shop is clean. I need all the help I can get! …so I cleaned and organized the shop for skinning.
I've been going over the skinning process for several weeks now. One thing I noted is that the skin overhangs the outboard rib flange by about 5/8". My jig frame is touching the rib so I had to cut a notch in the jig to allow the 5/8" overhang. No big deal but it would have been easier to have allowed more room in the jig.
I set up to bend panel #4. Bending the nose skin per the recommended process is a pain in the @%#$! I fought with it for a while. I found it worked best to roll the nose back and secure it first. I marked a line at 17" for the bend center and a line at 34" and duck taped the nose edge to this line. To help hold the roll down I put some weight on it. Then I secured the PVC to the 17" line. After taping the ends with plastic I turned on the shop vac. It worked! The bend came out to just past 90 degrees.
I did a couple of test fits but no drilling yet. I traced the ribs and the center ribs are about 1/8” out of square to the spar so I need to chase this down before I start drilling holes. I had forgotten that when I originally jigged the wings I had to force the rear spar toward the inboard because a couple rivets on the attach bracket interfered with the jig. Rather than reapply pressure I cut some notches at the inboard jig to accommodate the rivets. It looks like that solved the problem but I'll recheck everything before I proceed.
Lesson of the day; allow more room between the jig ends.
